


Loki’s Cake

by STARSdidathing



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Birthday, Birthday Cake, Birthday Fluff, Birthday Presents, Feels, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Fluff without Plot, Gen, Gen or Pre-Slash, Hugs, Loki & Tony Stark Friendship, Loki (Marvel) Feels, M/M, Post-Avengers (2012), Post-Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie), Pre-Loki/Tony Stark, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Is a Good Bro, Unspecified Setting, Wordcount: 1.000-5.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-18
Updated: 2018-12-18
Packaged: 2019-09-22 02:08:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17051060
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/STARSdidathing/pseuds/STARSdidathing
Summary: When it came to a friend’s birthday, Tony Stark liked to make sure his celebrations and gifts were perfect.





	Loki’s Cake

**Author's Note:**

> Heeeey, so guess what I didn't intend to post something else today but **NovaRain** told me Loki's birthday is "officially" the 17th of December and I was like " _wtf??? I didn't think he had one officially??"_
> 
> I wrote this a while back and was going to post it ~whenever but I feel like I better post it now. A day late ^^' Whoops.
> 
> But here's some fluffy birthday goodness for our resident trickster, Loki. ~~And this fic is actually "gen" or "pre-slash"??? I KNOW, SACRILEGE!~~

When it came to a friend’s birthday, Tony Stark liked to go all out. He wanted to lavish them with gifts and attention. His friends were incredibly precious to him because somehow, despite the odds, they liked _him_ ; not for his money or his tech but because of _him_.

It meant that for Pepper he bought her something she’d been eyeing, usually a designer piece of clothing and took her out to dinner. When it was Rhodey, they had a few drinks in the penthouse, watched old movies from their college days and generally reverted back to the youthful idiots they’d been when they’d first met.

Bruce, likewise, preferred a smaller celebration. Actually, he preferred no acknowledgement _at all_ , but Tony always placed a small gift basket in his rooms; a collection of his favourite teas, some incense that was good for meditating and hand-knitted woollen jumpers. Bruce had a strange love for them and Tony now had a lovely old lady in his contacts who made him one every year.

Thor, he’d found, was the kind of person who wanted a huge party with lots of drinking, eating, revelry and mayhem. He’d happily provided (and been hungover for three days afterwards, God, he wasn’t young anymore).

But Loki was the last addition on his list, and the trickster was difficult from the start; to begin with, he refused to tell Tony when his birthday was. He had to wrangle it out of a drunken Thor.

He’d then had to work out _what_ Loki would like; a large party was out, as were spell books he had very little chance of getting his hands on. Loki was, unfortunately, the kind of person who bought (or stole) whatever he wanted himself, and usually, by going off world.

Asking the mage what he wanted wasn't going to work, since the few attempts Tony made were met with a steely glare that promised death and dismemberment if he continued down that path. So, party was out, gifts were impossible and that pretty much only left a cake.

Tony _knew_ that Loki liked chocolate. So, he decided to order the best and most expensive chocolate cake New York had to offer. He also bought a glitter bomb, an “eat a dick” gift box (with the gift made out of fine chocolate) and two tickets to Loki’s favourite opera. Because if Loki wasn’t going to work with him, that he would learn to feel Tony’s wrath in the form of glitter and insults. And, well, opera tickets, because he did want to give Loki _something_.

The cake was set to arrive at lunch time and Tony had even hung a green and gold ‘Happy Birthday’ banner in the penthouse. The plan was that he would call Loki up to have a drink and then surprise him. Tony had the gifts, a few balloons and some movies. Anything else Loki could want would either be at his fingertips, or Tony would set about gaining.

Tony didn’t expect Thor to excitedly bounce up to the penthouse while Tony was getting ready.

“Stark!” He announced. “I could not wait; I had to see the celebration you would gift, Loki.” He was looking around with curious eyes and an excited smile, but it faded as he found very little in the form of festivities. “You have not planned a party for Loki?”

Tony snorted. “Ah, firstly, Point Break, Loki would hate a party. Secondly, he barely considers anyone his friend, so who the hell would I invite? He’s got gifts here, and I’ve ordered a cake. If he wants to do something else then-”

“You have _ordered_ a cake?” Thor questioned, a deep frown forming.

Tony frowned back. “Yes...?”

“You cannot give Loki this cake.”

Tony turned to fully face him. “Why?”

“This is not a celebration, Stark, this is a private gathering. A personal gift.” Thor gestured around them. “To refuse to make the meal yourself would be a grave insult. You would make it known to Loki that you consider him unworthy of the effort.”

 _Ah fuck_ , Tony thought, a bolt of panic going through him. This was bad. Very bad. “FRIDAY, do we have the ingredients to make a cake?”

“You have never made a cake, boss,” FRIDAY drawled.

_Take that as a no._

“Fuck. Okay, order them, make it express delivery and get me a chocolate cake recipe.”

“On it, boss.”

Tony ran a hand through his hair before asking Thor, “Can you keep Loki distracted?”

Thor nodded. “I will see it is done.” He reached out and clasped Tony’s arm. His eyes were warm and grateful. “Be calm, Stark. This will mean much to my brother. He has had no friend who would do such a thing for him.”

Tony blinked at Thor even while shock and _sadness_ was erupting within his chest. 

Loki was hundreds of years old; had he never had a friend throw him a party before? God, that was too painful to consider. No. Tony wasn’t going to think about that. He was going to focus on the _cake_.

He barely noticed Thor leaving, he was too busy heading over to a nearby tablet and pulling up the recipe FRIDAY had sent him. It was very basic. That was good. He was a shit cook. The simpler the better. “Okay, FRIDAY. I got this, tell me I got this?”

There was a pause before, “Shall I have Dum-e bring up the fire extinguisher?”

Tony glared at the camera and pointed. “Don’t snark at me. You’re becoming as bad as your brother.”

“I have learned from the best, boss.”

He smiled. It still sent a pain through his heart to remember the loss of JARVIS, but in moments like this, he could only feel joyful at how much FRIDAY had developed into her own. She could be even more cutting than JARVIS.

But, there was no time to debate the difference between his A.I.’s. He had to focus on the cake that he would need to bake for Loki.

He really hoped he didn’t end up burning it... or the kitchen... or himself.

* * *

Thankfully, Tony managed to bake the cake with only minor scorch marks and a slightly burnt outer rim that he covered in icing. The cake was probably going to taste like shit, but he followed the recipe perfectly so how bad could he mess it up?

He carefully carried the cake from the counter and placed it on the table. The one he’d ordered had arrived earlier and he’d shoved in one of the spare rooms. Someone would eat it later.

Tony placed green candles on the cake, spelling out Loki’s name and lit them. 

“FRIDAY,” he called, glancing at his watch (only two hours later than he’d planned), “bring up the birthday boy.”

She didn’t respond, but Tony knew she’d followed the order. He waited, standing in front of the cake and hoping that Loki would appear before him rather than to the side or something.

It took less than a minute before Loki appeared in a shimmer. His annoyed expression quickly changed for one of surprise as he took in the decorated room. 

“Surprise!” Tony announced, giving jazz hands and everything. He waited until Loki pulled his gaze away from the banner to stand to the side and point at the cake and gifts. “Happy Birthday!”

Loki’s face, if possible, slackened even further. His eyes were riveted on the cake. It took a good thirty seconds before Loki said anything, “You made that.”

“Yeah,” Tony laughed a little ruefully. “You can tell by the way it looks. And probably by the way it tastes. First cake I’ve ever made, likely terrible. Fair warning.”

Loki’s gaze _snapped_ to Tony, and the intensity of his expression stole Tony’s breath. He’d never had _anyone_ look at him like that. There was so much going on behind Loki’s eyes, but incredulity and awe were the main two Tony could pick out.

“I am the first you have...” he shook his head and turned back to the cake. He still looked at it with wonder. He even started to smile. “Thor told you of the meaning. He must have. And you simply... you simply _made_ it.”

“Well, yeah,” Tony said. Loki wasn’t looking at him, but he wanted to squirm. “Of course I would.”

Loki turned to him and, to Tony’s utter shock; he walked over to Tony, stopped in front of him and pulled Tony into a hug. 

Tony’s eyes flew wide as his face was pressed against Loki’s chest. He breathed in the scents of old books, spice and winter. He hesitated for only a moment before wrapping his arms around the mage in return.

Loki’s arms were warm and secure. Tony never would have pegged Loki for giving good hugs, but _damn_. Tony was a physically affectionate guy, and he could spend hours wrapped up in Loki like this.

“Thank you, Tony,” Loki murmured, his voice rough and almost watery.

And that was surprise number two. His _name_. Loki never called him that.

He knew he could say something sarcastic, but he didn’t, the moment felt too weighed down with emotion. “You’re welcome, Loki.”

The mage’s hold tightened briefly before Loki was letting him go. Tony was disappointed but didn’t let it show. He just smiled and watched Loki walk over to the cake. He seemed _excited_ as he blew out the candles. 

It almost made Tony feel bad that he’d given him two gag gifts and only one genuine one. 

Well, _almost_ , because the sight of the Trickster God opening the glitter bomb with blissful ignorance would forever rank as one of Tony’s best life experiences.

And it only got better, when instead of getting mad, Loki _laughed_. The sound came from his belly and echoed around the penthouse. He was covered in pink glitter and smiling wider than Tony had ever imagined he could grin.

He looked purely and utterly happy and Tony had never felt prouder of any birthday celebration he’d ever given a friend.

**Author's Note:**

> Soooo. I like to believe Loki and Tony do become a couple later. Like, maybe every year, Tony makes a cake/creates a private celebration for Loki. The cake gets better and fancier each year and Tony improves every time. And idk, the third year of this, they both know it's something more and after blowing out the candles Loki finally makes a move and they get together or something?? Idk.
> 
> But yeah, this just wanted to be written as "gen" soooo, um, enjoy that strangeness ^^


End file.
